The invention relates to a fitting for a vehicle air conditioning system and more particularly to a block fitting for coupling tubing segments, the fitting having a pair of seals wherein one of the pair of seals is a radial seal and the other of the pair of seals is an axial seal, the fitting militates against leakage during operation of the air conditioning system upon failure of one of the pair of seals.
In assembly line manufacturing of vehicles, it is desirable that air conditioning line fittings be secured using a power nut driver rather than using a torque wrench. For this reason, peanut or block fittings are often employed.
Conventional air conditioning systems have employed block fittings having several shortcomings. The block fittings of prior art systems include restricted flow diameters in the tubing within the fitting resulting in undesirable pressure losses. Prior art fittings are typically produced from thick block material resulting in heavy and expensive fittings. Additionally, the prior art fittings are produced with a single o-ring seal. Therefore, if a surface of the tubing or seal becomes damaged, undesirable leakage of refrigerant fluid may occur.
It would be desirable to produce a fitting for use in an air conditioning system which militates against pressure loss, militates against leakage of refrigerant, and is inexpensive to produce.
Consistent and consonant with the present invention, a fitting for use in an air conditioning system which militates against pressure loss, militates against leakage of refrigerant, and is inexpensive to produce has surprisingly been discovered.
The fitting for an air conditioning system comprises:
a male tube with an end and an outer wall, the male tube having a radially outwardly extending annular flange formed thereon and an annular groove formed in the outer wall spaced from the end and the annular flange;
a female tube adapted to receive the male tube, the female tube having a flared end to cooperate with the male tube;
a first o-ring disposed between the annular flange of the male tube and the flared end of the female tube to provide at least an axial seal between the male tube and the female tube;
a second o-ring disposed within the annular groove to provide at least a radial seal between the male tube and the female tube;
a male fitting having an aperture formed therein adapted to receive the male tube;
a female fitting having an aperture formed therein adapted to receive the female tube; and
fastening means for securely holding the male fitting and the female fitting adjacent one another to engage the male tube and the female tube.